


you're the only green in all this grey

by petalstorm (orphan_account)



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Drabble, M/M, splash free au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-19
Updated: 2015-04-19
Packaged: 2018-03-24 19:59:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3782452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/petalstorm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Haru. Never forget that you’re a prince in my eyes,” Makoto says.<br/>Haruka doesn’t put too much thought into it, or so he thinks, for his heart does skip a beat somehow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	you're the only green in all this grey

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Luminica](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luminica/gifts).



> This is a birthday present to the most lovely Mori, @foxmakoto on Twitter! I sincerely hope you have a fantastic birthday, and many many great days to come!

Haruka became the prince of the Nanase kingdom on his sixteenth birthday.

He didn’t really ask for it, and he never really cared for it, either. Actually, he had been fine before too – just swimming when he felt like it, reading when he felt like it, all that jazz. And his family had been fine with this kind of slacking off, as well – they were too busy training soldiers and being in war with the neighboring Matsuoka kingdom. Not like Haruka cares too much.

But Makoto does. Makoto always did.

“Prince Haruka,” he says the day Haruka becomes a prince. He had called him “Haru” before that.

“Told you not to call me like this,” he replies, the annoyed tone in his voice intended. He doesn’t care, so why does Makoto? He doesn’t understand.

“Fine… Haru.” He smiles and it feels warm and comfortable.

 

Haruka receives more and more duties – taking care of servants who take care of him, regularly checking up on finances and horses, talking to everyone responsible to it, and lastly, watching his dad. A whole lot. Just so to become king, one day eventually.

He doesn’t feel too comfortable with this situation. Suddenly getting all responsibilities like this… It doesn’t feel right in the slightest.

And there’s always Makoto by his side, never changing, always by his side. Forest green eyes, always steady, silently providing him support. It’s the only thing that’s green in this desert of planning, coldness and war.

The warmth grows in Haruka’s heart. Slowly but surely.

 

“Haru. Never forget that you’re a prince in my eyes,” Makoto says.

Haruka doesn’t put too much thought into it, or so he thinks, for his heart does skip a beat somehow.

 

“We need to recruit you and your knight. For war,” his father says one day.

Him? And Makoto? Into war? No. _No._ He will be stay here, safely, with Makoto. And who cares if the Matsuoka prince goes, too.

Haruka sees red. He sees red, he feels red, everything is red – and where is the green? He desperately needs it right now.

He closes his eyes. And sees Makoto. “You can do this, Haru! I believe in you,” he says. He never actually said that, but it still feels real.

His heart skips another beat again, but the next time it beats, it feels stronger. He feels better.

He chokes the red back, argues and is surprised his voice comes out in the usual flat voice. His father still doesn’t back down.

It’s around the same time that Haruka realizes that his speech is so dry because he talks just like the adults, devoid of emotion. It’s like he can see sand coming out from his father’s mouth.

No. He will not become the same. He tells himself to never become an adult, ever.

They’re supposed to be at the front lines by tomorrow.

 

Makoto is on his way to sleep in his own room. He only held Haruka’s hand, and didn’t say a word. But he feels like it is enough, just staring at the green, just holding his hand like this.

It feels fine this way.

“I’m going to-“ Makoto begins.

“No,” Haruka says and it’s the first time he orders Makoto something. After an entire year of being prince. He cups Makoto’s face with his hands, staring intently at the green that looks a little like amber now.

“H-Haru-“

“Sh,” he orders again. “If I stare long enough into your eyes, will I stop becoming an adult?” he asks.

He notices every change in Makoto’s eyes. The surprised flicker, the emotion of confusion, the loving glimmer.

Time stops.

“If I stare long enough into your eyes, I feel like I took a bath.”

Haruka feels like fainting and is surprised he doesn’t. They never have a bath, let alone enough water to have a shower.

Does that mean that Makoto… feels the same?

“Yes, I do, Haru,” Makoto says as though he can read his mind. He cups Haruka’s face with his soft hands, as well, and pulls him closer. “I feel the exact same.”

Are they-

No. Probably not.

Makoto pushes his forehead to Haruka’s. He is not supposed to falter like this, but he does.

It feels more powerful than a kiss.

“You mean the world to me,” Makoto whispers.

“I love you,” Haruka replies.

And it feels right. Time should never tick again.

 

The Matsuoka prince’s name is Rin. Rin’s eyes are red, just like when Haruka felt anger.

But red also means blood.

He slays everyone in sight and doesn’t miss anybody. With a _smirk,_ he gallops toward Ha- no. He gallops to _Makoto_.

That’s when Haruka sees red, too.

“No!” he shouts, and manages getting in front of Makoto. Rin’s spear doesn’t miss.

The last thing he sees is green.

Green like peace. Green like-

 

He realizes in the very last moment, when Makoto shouts his name over and over and when Haruka only hears it faintly, that all this time, he had felt the most home when he was with Makoto. Actually – he had never really felt home but in Makoto’s eyes. In that green.

In a way, he feels relieved – to die at home.


End file.
